Set in December 2025, this case follows Marcus Lim, a Senior Assistant Director at Singapore's Ministry of Digital Development and Information, as he confronts a convergence of digital crises. With 48 hours before a regional technology summit, Marcus must draft a regulatory framework to combat malicious deepfakes following a diplomatic disinformation involving Senior Minister Lee and a "Nudify" pornography scandal targeting students. The narrative illustrates the "legislative lag" where reactive instruments like the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act and the Online Criminal Harms Act inadequately address the speed and scale of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students must navigate a high-stakes policy trilemma balancing national security and social cohesion in a multiracial, high-trust society against the economic imperative of maintaining Singapore's status as an open "Smart Nation" hub. Amidst conflicting stakeholder demands from enforcement agencies and economic boards, and drawing on comparative analyses of the United States, the European Union and Chinese models, the case forces a decision between three imperfect options on mandatory provenance, enhanced platform liability, or controversial identity-linked controls. Furthermore, this case also explores the "dual-use" dilemma of AI, challenging students to design governance that mitigates risks without stifling innovation in a small and open economy.

This was an entry for the LKYSPP Case Writing Competition 2025/26

In 2024, the Indonesian government launched the Program Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG), a nationwide free school meal programme aimed at reducing child malnutrition, improving educational outcomes and narrowing socioeconomic inequality. Framed as the flagship policy commitment of the new administration, MBG represented one of the largest social policy initiatives in Indonesia's history, with the ambition to reach more than 80 million beneficiaries. While the programme had significant potential for improving Indonesia's human capital, its rapid implementation exposed deep governance, operational, fiscal and accountability challenges. This case study situates students at a critical decision point when policymakers confronted difficult trade-offs between political urgency and administrative capacity, national standardisation and local flexibility, short-term delivery and long-term sustainability. Drawing on empirical data from Indonesia's nutrition sector and comparative insights from other nations, the analysis explores how decentralised governance frameworks, disparities in regional preparedness, logistical challenges, food safety concerns and increasing fiscal obligations influenced policy results.

Distinguished Prize - LKYSPP Case Writing Competition 2025/26

This case study explores the growing intersection of generative AI (GenAI) chatbots and youth mental health. Against a backdrop of rising internalising symptoms among Singaporean youth, the study identifies a critical governance gap where AI platforms are increasingly used for emotional support and mental health advice despite not being clinically validated or intended for such roles. Current regulatory frameworks often classify these tools as limited-risk consumer systems, resulting in a safety vacuum where vulnerable adolescents may be exposed to unmoderated, harmful advice or feedback loops without adequate clinical guardrails or crisis redirection. The study evaluates multiple policy options, ultimately proposing a hybrid, risk-tiered licensing model for Singapore that subjects chatbots with significant therapeutic influence to formal accreditation and clinical governance while maintaining a public registry of safe alternatives. This approach aims to leverage Singapore's existing digital infrastructure to ensure that psychological safeguards do not lag behind technological innovation, thereby protecting vulnerable young people while still fostering digital advancement.

Distinguished Prize - LKYSPP Case Writing Competition 2025/26

This case study investigates the “Republic of Seoul” phenomenon, where the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) absorbs 50.6% of the population and 53.1% of the national GRDP. Rooted in historical state-led unbalanced growth, this hyper-concentration forms a structural "lock-in" driven by a feedback loop of talent, capital and consumption. By analysing past decentralisation failures like Sejong City and the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Megacity, the study demonstrates that administrative relocation is ineffective without economic self-sufficiency and political autonomy. Drawing on comparative lessons from Germany and Japan, it examines some potential solutions to achieve sustainable national rebalance - fiscal decentralisation, “Secondary Residence System” and self-sufficient economic poles. 

Merit Prize - LKYSPP Case Writing Competition 2025/26